Harley Davidson Motor Company and Buell Motorcycle Company announced in a press release last Monday of their "Operation Extend the Ride" program, a plan to increase warranty coverage to owners who are deployed overseas in military operations.

"Men and women from around the world have made great personal sacrifices to serve their countries during military efforts in the Middle East," said Steve Phillips, Vice President of Quality, Reliability and Technical Service. "Harley-Davidson and Buell want to recognize these military personnel by extending the warranty on Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles owned by those who have served and been unable to ride while they were on duty."

The extended coverage will apply to owners who are coalition military personnel from any country deployed to an area controlled by CENTCOM, or deployed in support of coalition operations in the Middle East from November 1, 2001 and on.

If their motorcycle is under warranty, Harley-Davidson and Buell will provide an extension of the factory warranty for the number of days they were deployed to account for the balance of the remaining warranty period. If the warranty on any of their Harley-Davidson or Buell motorcycles expired while they were deployed in the designated areas, Harley-Davidson will offer additional warranty coverage for a period of time equal to the length of their deployment, but not to exceed the original factory warranty period.

Harley-Davidson and Buell owners who believe they are eligible for Operation Extend the Ride should see their local dealer upon return from deployment. Service men and women will need to provide the dealer with a copy of their orders or a signed statement from their Commanding Officer that specifies the period of time for which they were involved in active duty.